Bargell tracking the tackle in the Colorado 7s final. /// Photo: Kari Killberg •
Colorado made the switch from 15s to 7s this fall, so more programs could could compete in a meaningful competition that culminated in a state championship. Longtime reigning 15s champion Summit High School embraced the shift, fielding up to four teams when needed, and asked its leaders to step up their contributions during a potentially tumultuous season. High School Player of Fall 2016 Cassidy Bargell was important to the program’s transition and its first state 7s championship.
Bargell spent 2016 playing up. In the second half of the year (the time period being considered for fall awards), she made her first appearance for the Girls’ High School All-American (GHSAA) 15s team in August, as the Eagles-in-training downed the British Columbia U18s in back-to-back games. Approximately a month later, Bargell was back in the USA jersey, this time representing the country at the European U18 7s championship in France. The U.S. and Canada were the special guests, and the Americans finished second to the host (read more). Of the many memorable performances, Bargell’s relentless defense lingers. On several occasions, the speedy finisher would fly into view and pursue line-breakers to the tryline if need be.
Those attributes are something with which Summit is familiar. Alongside influential seniors like Natalie Gray, Jodi Losch and Marin Pennell, Bargell continually pushes the on-field performance while also grooming the younger players who will someday replace her. Bargell’s experiences with the GHSAAs primed her for a very important role as the Tigers prepped for their first concentrated 7s season.
“I think that it really was a great experience for Cass,” Summit coach Karl Barth reflected on Bargell’s higher-level experience and the trickle-down effect. “As she prepped for the challenge of France, [it] meant really being intense and pushing a lot harder than her [Summit] teammates needed to in those first few weeks – being a go-to finisher and taking that role in some early big games, as others figured out their roles in 7s especially, to stepping into a more creator role in reading the game and using the attention she drew for opposing defenses to create for others.”
Summit got its biggest push from Westside SWARM, a worthy, welcomed opponent, and Bargell came through big time in the teams’ early meeting, and then again in the state final (read more). The Tigers also returned to the very competitive Pink 7s in Utah, and Bargell’s speed and game savvy drew high praise from tournament director Matt Kanenwisher (read more). Bargell capped her 7s year with a return trip to the New York 7s, where she helped Atlantis in an ultra-competitive high school elite division (read more).
All of these experiences – from Seattle, to France and New York – made Bargell an even more valuable asset to her home team, and she celebrated with a breakout season.
“She had to find balance in her intensity, holding herself to high standards, patience in helping develop some of her teammates, and really understanding the game – laws, game flow, strategy and tactics,” Barth concluded. “It is easy to be athletic, but harder to be a player that makes those around you better.”
FALL 2016 AWARDS … The rugby season doesn’t align with the calendar year, so with the exception of the national teams, awards are broken into spring and fall. Individual players, coaches, teams and games of the fall will be recognized in advance of the New Year.
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College Player of Fall 2016: Ilona Maher
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